


My brother, my sin.

by I_never_was_a_uke



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Beta Read, Dark Al, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Elricest, M/M, Mentions of Al x Roy, Post canon, Seme!Alphonse, Sibling Incest, Sibling Relationship, Slow Build, Strong references to EdxHei, Uke!Edward, What have I done to my boy, Why did I do this to my babies, World War II, Yandere Alphonse, i need a proofreader, more tags as time pass by, older uke, please comment, someone please help, younger seme
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-24 12:43:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14355765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_never_was_a_uke/pseuds/I_never_was_a_uke
Summary: A list of the sins Alphonse has to commit in order to be with Edward.





	1. The replacement

Alphonse’s first sin was murder. No matter how many times Edward told the younger that that wasn’t the case, the bronze haired male knew deep down that it was his fault. There just can’t be two of the same person in one world. Alphonse and Alfonz couldn’t exist in the same world no matter how much Edward wanted them to.

 

Alphonse just couldn’t help but feel that he was the reason his doppleganger got shot the moment Edward left, or how his doppleganger’s mysterious illness just happened to catch up with him as well. It was as if that world itself was preparing for his arrival by getting rid of his imposter so it could have enough room for him. That’s all he was, a replacement, a cheap filling that he knew left his brother craving for the real thing to come back, and now Alphonse was here, watching as the funeral ceremony played out for the man that was once him.

 

Alphonse knew they were the same person, there was no doubt about it. They were mirror images of each other, just that Alfonz was nothing more than a desaturated imitation. The case wasn’t helped by the fact that Alphonse and Alfonz were linked even in their deepest dreams. Alphonse often longed to be the other Al, clinging to the image of Edward asleep in the bed next to him as to keep the hope that they would see each other again. This belief was strengthened when Edward went on to talk about their past adventures in their shared dreams.

 

Seeing Edwards face light up the way it did when they spoke of those things made every single feeling of remorse he had left towards his replacement melt away, as if there was any left. The younger sibling had seen the way his copy had stared at the former alchemist, he had **felt** the way Alfonz would stare at Edward, especially when he slept. The taller of the two brushing away a few golden strands of hair from Edward’s almost perfect face. Edward looked so peaceful sleeping.It was almost as if the lines written on his face from countless years of tragedies would fade whenever he was like this, and Alphonse would do anything to protect these small moments of joy.

 

That paired with the fact Alphonse had to watch those lines get a bit darker as the casket was lowered into the ground, a trail of invisible tears lining his elder brother’s tanned cheeks for a man Al had never even met yet knew so much about. Alphonse even wondered if his elder has cried so much for him when he was not around.

 

“Alphonse there’s something I need to tell you…” The greenish eyed male was pulled out of his trance by this, eyes once fixed on a piece of uneven dirt now shifted towards a pair of honey orbs just out of sight. “I… I-I…”

 

“Are you alright brother?” Alphonse tilted his head ever so slightly, as if he were trying to keep up the facade of innocence he had long since lost. All so his brother could feel safe even though Alphonse already suspected what he was about to say.

 

“I…” Edward choked on his words, he almost drowned in them, but he somehow managed to get something out of his mouth, as if they were nothing but a dying cry. “I’m really gonna miss him Al… Almost as much as I missed you…”

 

Alphonse felt his shoulders tense. Had so much time passed both of them by that Alfonz had gone from being his copy to being an actual person, one that had gained so much affection as to turn the original into the replacement?

 

“Please don’t leave me…” _‘I already lost someone I loved…’_ Edward held back tears, it had been a while since he had said this but the truth of it still rung with a force that wouldn’t stop even when the siblings died. “You’re all I got…”

 

The younger Elric could feel the relief of this statement flood through his body. Alphonse feared that he had lost Edward after spending so much time many people didn’t have trying to find him. There were countless nights where everyone told the bronze haired boy to just give up, some saying that Edward was dead while others said he didn’t want to be found. Any argument usually boiled down to Alphonse needing to stop the search.

 

No, what Alphonse needed was his brother back, he needed to see Edward in something more than his dreams, to know that Edward needed him just as much as he needed Edward. To hear Edward say the same phrase that brought them closer than ever before was more than enough to realize that Edward still loved him as much as he had done back then,

 

“Don’t worry brother, I’m not going anywhere.”


	2. A mirror image of fire.

Over the next few months, Alphonse felt himself fall to a taboo that would shake the course of his future to the very core; One that if the wrong person knew it could get him killed for something as innocent as loving someone; One that he couldn’t help but feel in his situation. The sin known as Homosexuality.

 

Alphonse had never truly experienced any physical attraction for anyone before, he was too busy taking care of Edward throughout those years to really do anything like that. Al would say he had a crush on a Winry long ago, but he would be lying if he said he felt anything more for her. No matter how many times Edward had given him the opportunity to ‘fall in love’ and ‘enjoy life now that they don’t have to look for the stone’ Alphonse still couldn’t really feel anything for a woman besides ‘She looks nice.’

 

However, Alphonse finally felt love on one fateful night in December, a day he almost wishes he could erase from the past and possibly get a better future.

 

Alphonse had been cleaning their shared home while Edward returned from another late night at work. Alphonse was lucky he had gotten a job working at Gracia’s plant shop on such short notice. Edward was being paid peanuts after he lost his job making rockets with Alfons. He had picked up a job as a delivery man but he was being paid cents to a dollar no matter how many late nights he worked.

 

This night though, Edward found himself being escorted home by a man he had become friends with over the past few months, a man that hurt the golden blond every time he was forced to look at him.

 

“G’night Roy.” Edward was just about to wave goodbye when on the front porch of his house, in full view of his younger brother, Roy had kissed the golden blond. Roy had just ran up and kissed him, leaving before anything could be said. Edward just stood there, he wanted to go and punch the bastard Coro-... friend, but Edward knew that in this state he wouldn’t be able to catch up. He couldn’t face Alphonse like this either, he knew that just on the other side Al was there, maybe not calling the cops but most likely thinking of nothing le-. Edward felt a hand place itself on his tense shoulder, as if in some way trying to comfort him.

 

“Brother.”

 

“Al, let’s just get inside.”

 

“But he kissed you.”

 

“Yeah and I want to forget that…” Edward slid passed his younger sibling, a grim look on his face only to be hidden when he let himself fall face first on their shared couch. Alphonse was both worried and relieved at this, his brother had never ignored him before and this is the only time he would let it slide.

 

If Edward had even bothered to look up at his brother’s face he would have seen Alphonse was also in a distress of his own. A wiry smile and rosey cheeks complemented the feeling that coiled in the pit of his stomach. There was just something about that kiss from earlier that caught Alphonse in such a way. Maybe it was the way Roy’s eyes were clouded with lust, the way his lips must feel against his own, the way Edward would feel in his-. Alphonse stopped himself, he couldn’t have been thinking of his brother. It wasn’t right to think of Edward that way, it must be, it has to be Roy.

 

While Edward had fallen asleep Alphonse was left to sulk in his feelings, something carried over from when he was in the armor. He forced himself to believe that it was Roy he had fallen in love with. He had decided that he would get close to Roy before finally asking him in secret if they could be together, they needed to be together. Alphonse needed to feel that way again, no matter what he needed to do to achieve that.


	3. Payment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Al finally starts paying for the sins he has managed to pile up.

Alphonse has yet to commit more sins, but it’s time he starts paying for the ones he has done, no matter how badly Edward is affected by it.

 

It had been almost a month since Alphonse had begun seeing Roy behind Edward’s back, not because he feared rejection from his brother, but he feared that Edward would reject Roy. As much as Edward wanted to comment on Alphonse’s new found distance, be it his leaving late at night, the long afternoons coming back home when Al’s job was just downstairs. But what worried Edward the most was when the two were together Alphonse would just stare off into the distance in the same way their mother did so many years ago, as if looking at Edward reminded him of something he would never be able to get over.

 

The first person Alphonse ever told was Gracia. She had also noticed how distant Alphonse was lately so when he came to her with this confession she openly accepted him. Gracia had always been more accepting than most would have been, especially in a time like this. Posters littered the streets and there were radios on almost every corner of the city. A man was taking over Germany and he had specific rules as to what kind of people were allowed to live in his country. This scared Alphonse to death, especially with how indiscreet Roy was with their relationship, always clinging to him at the bars that they visited late at night. This was one of the reasons Al didn’t want to tell Edward he was gay. Al knew Ed wouldn’t get mad at him for it, but he did know that Edward would suffocate him more than he already did.

 

Ever since Alfons died Edward was always just a tad bit nicer to Al than before. A bit more involved, and a lot more worried. One night Alphonse caught his brother crying out for him in his sleep as if it had been a nightmare. Edward was now more attentive to what Al was doing and while Al appreciated it in times of complaining about a rude customer it made hiding his secret all the more harder. Still, Alphonse found a way to lead a double life even if it was at the expense of he and Edward’s time together.

 

Al just couldn’t stand being with Ed for too long anymore, he felt like each moment they were together he was going to break. The wrong thoughts would come flooding back when they were together, thoughts that were only blocked out by Roy.

 

“So that’s what he really thinks about me…” Edward said as he took a sip of his already cold tea. He had been so focused on what Gracia was telling him that he almost forgot to breathe. “Does he really hate me that much..?”

 

“He doesn’t hate you,” Gracia said in a comforting tone that hopefully hid her own doubt as to the younger Elric’s feelings. “ he just needs to find himself. I suggest you give him some time…”

 

Soon the harsh lines that came from Ed’s frown began to soften, he had lost Al many times before, he didn’t want to lose him when it could be prevented so easily, when losing him could be prevented by him just… not being there.

 

“Yeah… Thanks Gracia, I’ll try to do my best… Just promise me you’ll tell me if anything happens to him. I’ll beat that bastard if he ever dares hurt-”

 

Gracia places a soft hand onto Ed’s shaking one, a reassuring look on her face.

 

“Trust me Ed, if anything happens you’ll be the first to know.”

 

Soon Ed spent the next few months saving up for an apartment just a few blocks up from where they were currently living. He had tried his best to give Alphonse his space but he found it almost impossible. As long as they were living together Ed would never be able to stop the “How did you sleep?”s or the occasional “Whatcha plan on doing?”s, even if sometimes they were met with Al’s bitter silence.

 

Alphonse didn’t hate Edward, in fact, it was the exact opposite that was causing him to act this way. Being in love with another man was its own giant beast, now being in love with your brother is a beast that would swallow the both of them whole… At least, that’s how Alphonse saw it. He was still trying to deny there was any part of him that loved Edward more than as a brother. There was just something about the way that Edward smiled when he got something right, how Edward would face him compared to how he would face almost anyone else. The softness Edward’s eyes gained whenever he looked at Alphonse would make Al’s heart beat for all the times it couldn’t when he was back in the armor. Alphonse felt like it was wrong, that he needed to escape these feelings.

 

And the only way he could escape is if he was as far away from Edward as possible. That’s why when Edward stopped Alphonse it brought the younger sibling to a panic.

 

“Al, we need to talk.” Edward said, having grabbed Al’s arm just moments before he left to work.

 

“Brother I don’t have time for this-”

 

“I’m moving.” Edward couldn’t bare to face Al, not when he was practically telling his brother that he was leaving him.

 

After swallowing hard Edward finally got a response for his actions, one he wished he would have never heard ring through his ears. It was more than enough to get Edward fired up, he wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to ask what had happened to make his brother this way.  _'I made my brother this way.'_

 

“Good.” It took everything in Alphonse to say those words, in fact, if Al knew what was going to happen he would have never said that in the first place. Alphonse took note of Edward's clenching teeth and tightening fists, knowing that his brother would never lift a finger against him.

 

“My stuff’s already there…” Edward growled, a small part of him wishing Al would stop him, that the real Alphonse would come budging through the door telling him that he had been on a long vacation and that what was torturing him was nothing but Envy, anything just to prove to the elder that Alphonse still cared about him. But, much to Edward's disappointment, nothing came “G’luck… See you around…” With that Edward let go, feeling his heart break a little as he watched Alphonse leave almost wordlessly. It took a moment for Edward to follow his brother downstairs, he just couldn’t believe that he was doing this.

 

Edward had only felt this empty feeling of progress once before, when he and Alphonse had burned down their own home. Back then at least he had Al, now that he was burning the bridge between him and his brother, there was no one left. There would be no Winry to nag him about maintenance, no Roy to tease him about his inferior height, and now no Alphonse to always remind him he had someone to turn to. 

 

Edward kept a spare key to his brother’s apartment on the off chance that Al would ever need him to come back. He didn’t plan on leaving Al forever, Ed just hoped his brother had the same plan in mind.

 

With one last departing look Edward put a lock on what had been the most important bridge in his life.


	4. A dreamless night under a dying tree.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward has grown accustomed to his new life separated from his brother, at least he'd like to say so even though every minute he's on the verge of breaking down. He seeks refuge in the past, hoping this rain could wash away some of the loneliness they had both been feeling.

Alphonse still hadn’t come to the realization that Edward was gone, after all they have been through there was just no way that Edward could have up and left.. Years ago Edward would have simply scoffed at the mere idea of it, saying something along the lines of, “Like hell I’m leaving him, he’s my brother!” before sucker punching the person who dared say that in the face. Yet here Alphonse was, unable to pry his gaze from the door he had been the first one to walk away from

 

It had been a cold and stormy morning that day, Gracia wasn’t even able to open up shop so this left Alphonse to finally let the loneliness sink in, a type of loneliness he had created out of what he thought was good for them both.

 

Alphonse just couldn’t understand what was hurting him so much. He had a job that brought him enough to live by, he had a freedom to do whatever the hell he wanted and had someone he loved. If that’s all someone would need in their lives than Alphonse would ask himself why he felt so lonely as of late. No matter what answer he would give himself Alphonse would find himself looking at the empty love seat next to the bookshelf as if there was something missing from that one spot. 

 

Just before the feeling finally found its origin the front door opened and for a brief second Al could have sworn Edward was trying to make his way inside until reality had struck him.

 

“Alphonse?” Roy said as he took a step inside, when he received no response Roy began snapping his fingers until finally Al shook his head. “Al what’s wrong, you look like you’ve seen a ghost…”

 

Alphonse thought about responding to that remark but something stopped him. “No I’m fine, just a bit tired. We’re still going out right?”

 

Roy took a step to the side and motioned Alphonse to the main hallway. “That’s what I’m here for isn’t it?” He spoke with an ounce of a smirk in his voice. This prompted Al to give a small smile as well. If there was one thing Alphonse could say was that in spite of the sometimes overbearing romance coming from Roy, he had given Al almost nothing to complain about, no matter how much Al wanted to.

 

Edward was a completely different side of the spectrum. From the second he stepped out of that apartment building he found himself wanting to walk right back in and apologize to Al for being such and idiot. It took everything inside of Ed not to do so, even though Alphonse was the one that wanted the distance, not himself, never. 

 

It was a rare occurrence when Ed found himself awake before lunch time had rolled around, but that day was a special one that had forced him to wake up long before the sun should have risen. His stubs started aching early on that day, and now there was no one there to help him. 

 

It took longer than usual, even after having spent almost six months apart Ed just couldn’t manage to reach the sore spots on his back so he had just given up long ago.

Having been on and off with jobs due to having prosthetic limbs Edward decided he would try again today. Finally gaining the power to get off his bed Ed wasted no time in making himself some breakfast. While the eggs and toast cooked he even took time to clean off the picture of Alfons he always kept in his living room, promising to bring him a new bouquet of flowers as soon as he was done. 

 

Due to Alphonse’s absence Edward found himself being better and better at cooking, something that both brought him pride but then replaced it with a melancholic feeling. 

 

After washing his dishes Edward left the apartment with a toothy smile, saying he wouldn’t take long like last time. 

 

The streets were lined with posters that could only bring a groan of frustration. Signs saying to join the socialist party and that they could restore the country to its former glory made Edward wish he could just punch whoever was putting them up. He was glad they had managed to get Noah out of the country just before anything worse could happen to her but that still didn’t stop Ed from worrying about someone else he knew. 

 

Edward was glad he could now greet Maes Hughes without the fear of him bringing anything up now. Ever since he started dating Gracia Maes was an almost completely changed man. This made their little chats a lot more pleasant than they were before.

 

Clenching his already tightened fists Ed had to tear his gaze from the once familiar building, only offering poor Gracia a passing wave before running off to the local market to see if there was anything he could help out with.

 

It turns out that heavy rain was not the perfect time to look for a job, seeing as everyone was in their homes enjoying the company of others while Edward was outside running around. Finally deciding he has had enough Edward decided to make his way to the place he wanted to be at the most.

 

Ed, making sure he picked at whatever flowers he found along the way, finally found himself at the cemetery. Taking a deep breath in Edward searched for the tree he often enjoyed sitting under as of late and placed his flowers on the tomb nearby. 

 

“Told ya I’d bring you a new one.” Ed gave a sheepish smile for what he knew was no one to see. It had become a custom for Edward to bring Alfons a new bouquet every week and fall asleep under the tree, it was as if he was waiting for someone special to wake him up. It was like he was waiting for Al, either of the two. 

 

Even when he was living with Al there was no one at home to stop him from doing it, just whoever was unfortunate enough to have the graveyard shift would be the only one to send him home that night. This day was no different. Edward had even propped himself up in the most comfortable way possible so his clothes wouldn’t be anymore drenched than they already were. 

 

With a soft chuckle Ed soon began to drift off, hoping that this time he could at least be here for only an hour instead of witnessing daybreak at the side of the love that could have been.


	5. Purple Hyacinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward will have to do something, for Al's sake.
> 
> ((Forgive me for this short chapter, I needed to make this one NOW.))

It had been the very next morning when Edward’s heart had sunk.

 

The same thing had happened as many other nights before; Edward was woken up by a man working at the graveyard, he was too tired to walk all the way home and ended up going to Hughe’s place early in the morning. This time however, Hughes carried a grimace Ed could only recall ever seeing before once, when Hughes was dealing with the case of the Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker.

 

However this couldn’t be the case, not here, could it?

 

“Ed, I’m going to need you to sit down for this…”

 

In spite of having left the socialist party, Hughes still had many drinking buddies who hadn’t, so from time to time he would get information that managed to slip through the cracks from time to time.

 

The night before Hughes had gone drinking once more to a nearby pub. Everyone was having a good time, cracking jokes, making drunken comments, just enjoying the sheer maryment of their blissful stupidity. That is, until a certain duo entered. Originally everyone just thought they were friends just like any other, but somehow they had seen them in the darkest of shadows in each other’s embrace.

 

Only the former officer’s nervous laughs could be heard in the pub as Hughes slowly turned to face what had caused everyone to dead silent. Slowly making his way through the crowd was Roy and at the door stood Alphonse, looking completely nervous as his lover asked for his favorite beer. The bartender didn’t deny him it, but he charged Roy three times the price. No one said a word until finally the two were far out of sight.

 

Hughes and Roy use to be extremely close, but hadn’t talked since Hughes had joined the party, he actually wished he could have reconnected with Roy but seemed to have gotten lost in his own world.

 

Everyone’s expression quickly shifted to one of disgust. Hughes couldn’t help but feel extreme worry for his former friend and the younger male so when he heard someone begin to talk Hughes made sure he was extremely attentive to what they were saying.

 

Not able to make out much, Hughes just took what he could make out and told Ed about it.

 

“W-What…? No you’re lying..”

 

“I’m not lying Ed,” Hughes sat up and leaned forward, an anxious look on his face. “they said that they were coming for Al today. They can’t find anything on Roy so they want to get the one they can.” Hughes explained.

Edward felt as his stomach churned in utter fear, he was sick. Edward was trapped in a mix of anger and denial, something telling him to go and warn his brother. But how can he warn someone who won’t even open the door to him? Edward had to think this through.

 

“Hughes, I need you to tell me exactly what they’re looking for. How are they planning on identifying my younger brother?” Edward gained a flare in his eyes for all the wrong reasons. Had Al been here, or at least childhood Al, Edward would have been punched in the face for even thinking of such a thing.

 

“A man, short blond hair, regular build, but most specifically, golden eyes.”

 

This was it. If that’s what they wanted, that’s what Ed would give them. Edward abruptly stood up and head for the door before pausing for a moment and turning to Hughes with a toothy smile that would haunt the former Nazi for many nights to come.

 

“Thanks Hughes! Tell Gracia I’m sorry, and please, please don’t let Al know.” Before Hughes could protest Edward was gone.

 

\--

 

After that experience at the bar Alphonse could barely get any sleep. It was noticeable even down to his work, so much so Gracia had to send Al back up stairs with the batch of purple hyacinth he had ruined.

 

Something just felt wrong but so right about that morning. Maybe it was the solitude of the morning; maybe it was the cool morning breeze that made him feel all the more lonely; maybe he was just missing someone next to him that couldn’t be replaced with any amount of kisses. Maybe he was finally going to admit to himself that he misses Ed more than he lets on. Constantly Al tells Roy that he enjoys not having to clean up after his sloppy older sibling wasn't going to cut it anymore. Sometimes Al would even say he's happier like this. 

 

Al knows this isn't the case, he just hasn't truly woken up to it yet. The world was moving so fast it felt like a disorientated dream. At one moment he was mourning the death of his mirror image, in the next he was repressing his feelings for his only living family by saying he didn't care if he left. It was all just so surreal to the younger sibling. The only thing he knew was real at this moment was the bouquet of ruined flowers at his hand.

 

Finally, Al tore his gaze from the purple flowers in his hands and turned to the window, finally breaking some of the illusion of that morning and standing up.

 

“Maybe today I can finally see him.”


	6. Mr Elric?

Edward had the most serene expression on his face as he brought the scissors up to his head. It was as if what he was about to do was the only thing he could do right in his life; as if each snip of the scissors cut away at a part that had hurt him, a part that hurt his brother. At this point Edward was tired of all the pain he had forced both himself and his brother through so if this was going to put a stop to it then he welcomed the imprisonment with open arms.

 

“This is the best thing I can do for him.” Ed repeated as the hair it had taken him so long to grow out fell to the ground, lock by golden lock.

 

\--

 

Alphonse decided to take the bouquet of purple flowers to his brother, the mere thought causing a knowing smirk to spread across his features. Edward was never really one for flowers, not even when their mom died  _‘Knowing brother he’ll probably just take them and give them to Alfons…’_ He thought as he put a nice little bow around the stem to keep them together before leaving with them in hand.

The chill of the rain was gone, and with this so was the fog that was clouding his mind from seeing just how much he really loved his brother. Now that he had been so long without Edward there all he could remember was how angelically his brother would have looked in this light.

 

\--

 

Once all the hair that needed to be had been cut, Edward found himself gazing in the mirror, completely taken aback by just how much he really did look like Alphonse. There were subtle differences between him and his brother. Edward still had much more of a baby face while Al looked like he had lost a lot of the baby fat Edward would often tease him about. He didn't want to stop looking at himself, the image was almost too real, it was as if he could just reach out and touch Al, but this would never be the case. Alphonse would never be Alphonse staring back at him, and maybe with the feelings that were festering inside of him, this separation was for the better.

 

Slowly Edward began making his way to out of the apartment, his movements sluggish, almost as if he was having second thoughts about what he was about to do. With one last look in a mirror to remind the elder blond of who he was doing this for Ed slowly closed the door before he left for the one place where he felt the least welcome

 

\--

 

Passing by the cemetery was a hard but necessary part of the trip to Edward’s home, he had gotten the location from one of Ed’s former employers, a librarian that brought a familiar pang of both nostalgia and humor.

_'Sheska said he would be somewhere down the next few blocks… A red apartment building..'_  It didn’t take long for him to find it. However it looked empty. Now if it had been any other person Al would have just turned away and gone home, although since this is his brother he was talking about all he did was go to the back door and open it.

 

Strangely enough the house was clean, all except for the locks of hair that covered the bathroom floor. “Why… Why would he cut his hair..?”  _'I loved his hair...'_  
  
\--

 

Edward stood at the back door of his brother’s building, no matter how much he would jiggle the door it wouldn’t budge.

 

“Gah! In all the months we were here and now is the one time he decides to replace the door..?” Edward laughs to himself a bit, that is until he feels something touch his shoulder, causing him to turn in a quick jerk. There they stood, three officers standing along the stairs of his brother’s apartment, stealing the breath right out of Edward’s lungs. A thick air of tension lingered between the four. One of the officers looked at his note pad and nodded, this silent agreement only adding to Edward's nerves.

 

“Is there a problem?”

 

“No, there’s no problem, just forgot my key…” Edward swallowed heavily, hoping to get rid of the dry feeling in his throat.  
  
“Alright, can we talk to you, Mr Alphonse Elric?”

 

\--

  
“I wonder where brother could be…” Alphonse thought out loud, the sun shining brightly as he made his way back home, barely taking note of the three soldiers escorting a blond man down the street. He had gotten so use to the sight that he couldn’t help but feel sad for those who have been caught.  
  
Meanwhile Ed was doing everything in his power to not turn his brother’s way, knowing that if he did there would be nothing to stop him from running to his younger brother. 


	7. "I saw locks of his hair on the floor..."

Something people rarely mentioned about Ed was his endless creativity, his ability to think outside of the box, something Alphonse wasn’t capable of. Which is why it took Alphonse until the next day to piece together what had happened to his brother. 

 

Alphonse had found himself at his brother’s work, a surprised look on the librarian’’s face as she had heard the news and expected to find Ed coming into work heart broken. 

 

“No.. He’s not here… Are you this Al he always talks about? I meant to ask you yesterday.” She seemed a lot more confident than her Amestris counterpart, but the both of them shared an immeasurable love for books. “He would always tell me about these adventures he went on with you, if he would have let me I would have made a book out of them!” She laughed.

 

_ ’So brother did talk about over there..?’  _ “Oh, well can you please tell me if you see him around? I’m worried about him…” Alphonse kept his gaze fixed on his brother’s name tag on the desk, as if expecting the blond to manifest from behind it. “He’s all-.”

 

“Don’t worry, he probably just got sick overeating last night, I did hear they were celebrating at the nearby bar last night.” Sheska tried to assure the boy, feeling a sense of common sympathy for him. She hadn’t been too close to Ed due to their personalities always clashing but he was a good worker and he did help her when her mother was sick. “You don’t have to worry about Ed, he seems too stubborn to let himself die.”

 

Memories of their past adventures came flooding back to Alphonse. All the times it seemed like they were on the verge of death just for Edward to pull the impossible off brought a sheepish smile to Al’s handsome features. 

 

“Yeah, I guess there really is nothing to worry about. It is Ed that we’re talking about. Thank you Sheska!” Alphonse said as he left the library, finally finding enough clarity to go to work.

 

_ ‘How did the both them know my name..? Even Ed when we first met…’ _

 

Alphonse made it down the few blocks in a matter of minutes, a look of confusion as Maes was nailing a help wanted sign with a face that looked as if the man had come back from a funeral. Also to his side there was a sign that said ‘Vacancy”, most likely for the apartment building. 

 

“Hughes, what’s wrong?” Alphonse asked, he didn’t remember quitting his job or anything that would require another worker. Not liking the way he was being ignored Al took a step in front of his friend, casting a bit of a shadow before repeating himself. “What’s wrong?” This time he merely got a disinterested side glance. 

 

It was as if Maes hadn’t fully realized the boy was there until he got a good look which caused the older to snap his head at Alphonse before getting up off his knee and shaking the boy. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, he had heard that the boy was arrested last night in front of his apartment. Gracia had even seen the arrest take place and had to explain to Maes between sobs. Before Alphonse could protest at this the former Nazi already had the boy in a tight hug followed with Maes calling Gracia outside.

 

Gracia came outside, her eyes still puffy from losing yet another friend to this entire tragedy. She saw Alphonse and joined in on the hug before pulling the two of them inside. 

 

“What’s with all this affection?” Alphonse chuckled. 

 

“We thought you had been…” Gracia started, Maes taking her hand. “I saw you get taken away by a few officers. I even saw you try to fight back. They even broke your door. I could have sworn it was you!” 

 

“Yeah, my door was broken when I got here so I went in through the back.”  Alphonse replied, remembering searching the apartment to see if anything was stolen but yet there was nothing. 

 

“But what about the officers? What about Roy? The second he was declared a wanted man he booked it.” Hughes even assisted in getting Roy out of here by the morning. “Can’t say I blame him.”

 

That's when Alphonse finally pulled out a carefully tied lock of golden hair, Edward's golden hair. From there it  took the three of them a mere minute to come to the next conclusion. 

 

“You don’t think…” 

 

“We all know him…”

 

“Oh please, God no please!”

 

\---

 

“They never reported on you having prosthetics.” After hours of sitting in a train full of people packed like livestock he was finally forced into examination. Edward being Edward was put into the group that would survive at least the first encounter. Now he was being more thoroughly examined by the bloodthirsty monster he had once known as Solf J. Kimblee. “I don’t even think these are prosthetics, they’re far more advanced than anything I have ever seen… Move your toes and fingers, I want to see how far this goes.”

 

As soon as Edward gave the mental command his fingers moved. He knew he had to comply with what they were asking for, at least for now. He had to swallow his anger and his fear as he watched Kimblee trace down his arm with the tip of a crop.To say that Edward was unsettled was an understatement. 

 

“A beautiful reaction time. We better not put this to waste. I want his arm and leg removed then-” Kimblee was stopped by Edward finally speaking up

 

“Wait! If you take it off then kill me you’ll never know how these things work! I’m the only one that can control this thing!” Edward gestured towards the artificial limb. 

 

The reaction had earned a contradicting response from Kimblee. The leather tip of the crop struck Edward across the cheek with almost enough force to throw him on the ground but the words that followed were what shocked him the most. 

 

“I suppose that’s correct, you earned your keep for the day.” Edward spit up some of the blood in his mouth and buttoned up his shirt as he was shoved towards the living quarters. 

 

The sight outside sometimes made him wish he had died, even then the things he was experiencing were far too horrible to describe. 


End file.
